Ninth grade: Megan Riley Jenkins, Fowler High School

Megan Riley Jenkins is known for helping others and her love for agriculture.

Her mother, Jennifer Jenkins, says Megan wants to be a medic in the U.S. Army and is considering a career in agriculture after attending Cal Poly.

She is a member of Fowler High’s FFA, where she had the chance to raise a pig and show it at The Big Fresno Fair. Peter Porker was a hit with the crowds, won first place in show and was eventually sold.

Megan’s agriculture instructor, Paul Magill, says she is a good listener, quiet and caring. He recalled an instance when a duck at the school had a growth on one of its feet and Megan offered to help care for it. Magill says he warned: “There will be blood,” and Megan responded, “That’s fine.” It’s easy for Magill to picture Megan as a medic one day.

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It takes effort to care for livestock, but that doesn’t deter Megan. Megan and her mom were up early at 5:30 a.m. over spring break to help deliver piglets at the school farm. Megan will claim one of them and she’ll name her Misty.

“She has a very big interest in ag,” Jenkins says about Megan. Magill adds that Megan also has a passion for horticulture.

Megan fits in cross country and track as well as flute performances in the school band. In spite of her extracurricular activities, Jenkins says Megan insists on maintaining good grades at school – all A’s except for that one B in the third grade.

“I’m really proud of her. It is all her accomplishments,” Jenkins says. “That’s just something that she’s taken on herself.”

Notable

Age: 15

School: Fowler High School

Home: Fowler

Parent: Jennifer and Ross Jenkins

Achievements: Megan has held a 4.14 GPA at Fowler High School. As part of her love for agriculture, she showed a pig at The Big Fresno Fair and earned first place. Helps at The Bridge Church in Fresno by operating a slideshow twice a month. Helped deliver piglets at Fowler High School’s farm. She has logged more than 100 hours of community service for her school.

Honorable mention

Sydney G. Reimer, 16, Fresno

School: Hallmark Charter School, Sanger

Parents: Paul and Candi Reimer

Achievements: A 4.0 student, Sydney Reimer has maintained A’s since kindergarten. Sydney is Sanger High School’s No. 1 tennis player and is praised for leading the high school’s varsity tennis team to a division championship. She also started an “farm-to-fridge” egg business and the profits help provide hens for families.

Faith Marguerite Van Hoven, 16, Clovis

School: Clovis North High School

Parents: Tracy and Fred Van Hoven

Achievements: Faith Marguerite Van Hoven is considered a true volunteer with a passion for education. She has a 4.0 GPA and has been on the honor roll since middle school. She has volunteered for the past three summers at John Muir Elementary School in the summer enrichment program for students. Among others things, Faith also spends lunch once a week with special needs students from the Clovis North United Robots team.